Rural communities

Businesses that operate in
rural communities are granted preferences in line with Belarus President Decree
No. 9 “Regulation of business operations in rural areas” of 20 December 2007.

Organizations (their branches,
representative offices, other standalone units of corporations) and
self-employed businessmen, who are located (reside) in rural areas are entitled
to special procedures of taxation, payment of mandatory fees to the state
budget, issuance of special permits, and their amendment.

For instance, such businesses:

are exempt from
profit tax (corporations) and income tax (self-employed businessmen) on profits
and incomes from selling products and services, which are manufactured
(rendered) in rural areas and are exempt from the tax on real estate, which is
located in rural areas;

are exempt from
import customs duties and value-added tax on the cost of manufacturing
equipment, components and spare parts, which are imported to the customs
territory of the Republic of Belarus to make part of the authorized fund.

Belarusian laws also grant
preferences for investing in specific industries and for investing in the
development of small and medium businesses. Guarantees of the Government are
vigorously used to get foreign credit lines. For instance, investment projects
are implemented in Belarus using loans of German, Italian, Chinese banks as
well as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.